


Full Circle

by AGirloftheSouth



Series: The Engineer and the Magician [2]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-18
Updated: 2015-04-17
Packaged: 2018-03-23 12:17:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3767869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AGirloftheSouth/pseuds/AGirloftheSouth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After being being rescued and settling into her new life, River manages to orchestrate the surprise of the Doctor's life all while he's completely unaware.  Told through a series of snapshots over the course of a few years of their life.  Falls in line towards the end of my story The Engineer and the Magician and goes forward from there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Impressions

**Author's Note:**

> Let's start with notes. Thanks to ScopesMonkey for reading through yet another Doctor Who fic with River in it for me. And not even complaining once. You're awesome. This story is a little more domestic than I originally anticipated it being, but I liked how it turned out being a sap myself, so hopefully you will as well. It is an add on to my previous story, but as intelligent humans you are probably perfectly capable of using context clues to figure it out, so there is no need to read the first story if you don't want to. I'd love you to though, as I'm pretty proud of it! 
> 
> And onto the warnings. As previously stated this is more domestic than I anticipated and I know that isn't everyone's cup of tea so just a heads up. Also as it ties into the Engineer and the Magician both of those characters make appearances. I understand that kids also aren't for everyone. I tried to keep them at a minimum but they are there. I don't think it takes anything away from the story, but if you have an engulfing hatred for time tots, now would be an excellent time to stop. 
> 
> I think that's all folks!

Now at last I hold you  
Now all is said and done  
The search has come full circle  
Our destinies are one

~Survivor  _The Search is Over_ _  
_

 

The Doctor stared out of the Tardis’ door and realized he should have known.  He should have put the pieces together a long time ago. She’d certainly done nothing to hide it.  But he hadn’t bothered.  He’d been too consumed by the daily events of his life.  His wife, his long dead wife, back.  Fighting and loving as much, or more, than they ever had before.

Their daughter, running around and figuring out life.  Asking more questions than he’d known possible, and drinking in information like a sponge.  She was unbelievably smart.  Amazingly funny.  And so much like his wife that it took his breath away.

Their new son, who still kept them up at night, demanding feedings and new nappies.  Sharp green eyes already, and starting to take things in.  Reacting to his environment.  Interacting with his sister.

 The Doctor had gotten lost in it.  Overcome by their presence and his happiness. 

A foreign all-encompassing contentment that he had never really known before. 

And River, his River, had taken advantage of it.  Worked behind the scenes and right in front of him in some cases and he had never once wondered.  Never doubted.  Never questioned.  And here he was now.  Looking out at the tiniest corner of the vast vacuum of space and feeling a numbing shock that he’d never felt before and thinking he might just break down and cry.


	2. The Planning

There’s a moment in every book when the book turns and it surprises me. ~ Chuck Palahniuk

 

“You’re doing it wrong,” River said, appearing next to him suddenly in the underbelly of the console room.  She’d been napping, it’s what she did now really, and he hadn’t expected her.  He smiled and gestured to the junction box he was currently pointing his sonic screwdriver at. 

“I’m fine tuning the navigation system,” the Doctor said, looking over his shoulder at her.  “When the time comes we don’t want to miss the hospital by a century or so.”

She smiled at him, her hand settling on her stomach.  The small mound had just become noticeable in the last couple of days.  River touched it constantly and he touched River constantly, yearning for that connection and the gentle sensations of their daughter. 

“That’s moving, sweetie,” she said, but pointed towards the box cables closest to her.  “This is your nav system.  You’re playing with the boringers.” 

He shook his head, refusing to use the juvenile terminology his predecessor had, even if they did greatly alter his enjoyment of riding in the Tardis.  “They are controlled on the other side–” he pointed his screwdriver and the Tardis jolted to the right.  He slipped and the screwdriver fell.  He tried to grab for River, stabilize her, but she reached for the railing and moved smoothly with the motion, staying balanced even as he tumbled to the floor, smacking his head along the way. 

With another jolt he rolled to the left, River taking a step to counterbalance and holding on as she swooped up the screwdriver and pointed it where he’d been working.  A second later everything stabilized. 

His head ached as he sat up, eyes closed as he felt River sit down next to him.  Her fingers brushed through his hair, and a kiss was placed against his temple.  “Are you okay?” she said, managing to hide the amusement he was sure she was feeling.  He winced as her fingers brushed the growing knot and her hand dropped to his neck. 

“No,” he snapped, a mixture of pain and embarrassment swirling around inside of him.  He was tempted to shake her off, stand up and be defiant of the situation, but couldn’t quite bring himself to do it.  She smelled good and her fingers were warm as she started to massage the base of his skull. 

“It’s the other set of cords,” he stated after a moment and he expected her to laugh.  She didn’t. 

“It is,” she said simply, and there was another kiss to his temple before she pulled away.  He finally opened his eyes as she stood up and headed away from him.  He watched her bend down and return to him, handing him is screwdriver. 

“Are you hurt?” he asked, rather belatedly, and saw the amusement in her eyes at the question.  He knew the answer of course, but as her husband he should at least inquire.  She should have been his first concern.

“Fine,” she answered, holding a hand out to him.  He accepted it and let her help pull him up.  He tucked his screwdriver away and started wiping at his clothes. 

“I need to go to Cambridge,” she said after a moment and he looked up at her.  “I need to see Franklin.” 

He stared at her for a moment before shaking his head.  “Franklin thinks you died.”

“He does,” she answered, “but I realized I’ve already done it.” 

He eyed her suspiciously and she crossed her arms defiantly.

“Last time I saw him he asked about some books I’d borrowed.  I hadn’t borrowed them, so I thought it was strange but it’s Franklin so I just nodded.  But as I was leaving he commented about how I’d lost weight since then too.  So,” she patted her stomach and smiled up at him.  “I’ve done it already.” 

He shook his head and walked back towards the collection of cables.  He pulled his screwdriver out and started to work exactly where she’d told him to. 

“And why now?” he asked, trying to act as if he was thinking it through, even though they both knew he’d take her.  And that if he didn’t she’d just take herself. 

“I’m bored,” she said simply and he glanced back over his shoulder at her.  “My husband has all but forbidden me to…”

“Forbidden?” he laughed turning to face her.  “Obviously suggesting that we not go running with the bulls when you’re pregnant and I’m old was completely unreasonable.  But I’ve apologized for it already and being kicked out of our bedroom for three days certainly emphasized your unhappiness with my word choice.  But yet, I’d still argue that was quite a way from ‘forbidden’.  As if you’d listen to me anyway.”

“True,” she said, moving closer to him to grab the lapels of his jacket.  “And I know you’re just being protective so I’m trying to compromise.  I was doing some research before I took the job to go to the library.”  His body tensed and it amazed him that she could talk about that place so casually, as if sharing what she’d had for breakfast that morning.  He hated it, the word, the memory, the thought.  She noticed, and moved closer, hand brushing along his back as she kept going.  “And I’d like to continue it.  I’ll be entertained and safe and sound.  We both win.” 

“Fine,” he said, begrudgingly and she smirked at him.  “He’s going to look at you that way though.”  He gestured with his hand at that air and River chuckled.  “You know he does.  I don’t like it.  You are an intelligent woman and don’t deserve to be–” he stammered, finally coming up with the word, “oogled.”

She grinned up at him, “You oogle me all the time.” 

“Clearly different,” he answered, letting his eyes drift over her before pulling away from her and heading towards the stairs. 

“Clearly,” she laughed from behind him.

* * *

 

“So,” Clara asked, looking over River’s shoulder.  “They had space flight, travelled through multiple galaxies and then one day stopped?”

“Yes,” River answered. The Doctor rolled his eyes, bored.  “Well not simply _one_ day but, yes. The Cephesians returned to their planet and just stopped.  Their past became myths and legends and their technology devolved.” 

River pointed at some drawings on the cavern wall.  They depicted one of the natives on what was clearly a space vessel and then over the series of drawings showing the native returning home and staying there.  In one, they were destroying a space vessel. 

“They never returned to space,” River said, shrugging as she moved to the table for some of the items that had been discovered on the dig.  The site was technically closed for the season, and research was being done back at whatever university had funded this.  But a force field had yet to stop his wife from getting somewhere she wanted to go. 

“That’s insane,” Clara said.  “I can certainly see why you’d be studying them.” 

“Interesting for sure,” River said.  “There’s some evidence to suggest they encountered early humans on Earth.” She studied a bit of pottery for a moment before setting it back on the table.  “And there are numerous accounts of them interacting with Gallifreyans and the early–”

“Before Rassilon,” the Doctor snapped and River nodded, conceding.

“Before _civilization_ tempered the Gallifreyan technologies.  Before the rise of Time Lords, really,” she said, and the Doctor was happy with that, not missing his wife rolling her eyes at his need for clarification.  He didn’t think highly of any species that turned their heads to his ancestors’ cruel ways. 

“Is this going to take much longer?” he said, waving his hand around, gesturing around the cave.  “You never did convince me the air here was completely safe.” 

“Yes,” River replied, picking up a long piece of what had once been a stone tablet.  “This oxygen rich, nitrogen based air is truly dangerous.” 

He glared at her but she didn’t look up at him. Clara, however, didn’t remain quiet. 

“She’s pregnant, Doctor, not an invalid.  She hardly needs to be confined to the Tardis.”

He stared at his companion and wished that he hadn’t suggested they bring her along.  River had been happy to comply, he knew, in hopes that Clara would distract him.  He’d hoped so too, never expecting her to be so engrossed in the history of these people or to side with River. 

“The problem is,” he clarified, “that whatever she breathes, my daughter also breathes.”

“Your daughter?” River asked, finally looking up at him hand being drawn to her stomach.  He backed down, recognizing the comment was stupid because he’d hardly had any involvement up to this point other than to worry while River’s body did all the work.  And also knowing that look was one telling him not to push it.  She would abandon him here if need be.  Or worse.  And he knew from dealing with his wife’s ever changing moods that she could do worse. 

“Archaeology is stupid,” he said and Clara’s draw dropped.  River, however, smiled.  It was an old joke, a safe one between them.  He crossed his arms and sulked back to his corner of the cavern. 

“You never thought so when I was at university,” River said, turning her attention back to the table.  She started moving the pieces of the tablet around, trying to put them in the right order. 

“I did,” he said, kicking a piece of rock out of his way.  “I was just distracted by those shorts you studied in.” 

Clara continued to glare at him, face contorting with a mixture of disgust and something else.  But River laughed and nodded.  Her actions, even then, had been very deliberate. 

“My fault, probably,” she conceded.  “But I’ve found what I needed today, so we can go.  Sweetie,” she gestured towards the bag she’d left at his feet.  “Can you bring the scanner?”  He opened the bag and removed the giant lighted wand.  He brought it over and slowly waved it above the collection of tablet she’d put together. 

He read the words relatively easily but they didn’t make sense.  It appeared to be a retelling of some folk story.  Remnant of their space travelling days.  Frozen planet.  Unable to contact.  He had a flashback to some animated film Clara has made him watch and shivered with disgust and then pushed those thoughts away.  If they were done here they could finally leave and head towards the volcanic eruptions of Kintex.  He’d promised Clara a show, and one they could watch safely from the protection of the Tardis. 

“That should do it,” River said, grabbing his wrist and stopping his motion. She stared at the drawings for another long moment.  She always enjoyed the physical aspect of archaeology, touching the items, connecting to the history.  He truthfully loved her in those moments. . 

“Okay,” she said after a moment, looking up and meeting Clara’s eyes.  “Anything else you’d like to do here before he drags us off to watch magma?” 

Clara eyed the cave for a moment and the Doctor watched her with wonderment.  But with a quick shake of her head she looked back at River.  “I’m good,” she said. 

* * *

 

He reached out in sleep and when his arm encountered empty space he groaned and opened his eyes.  No River.  He sat up and looked into the cot they’d set up at the end of the bed.  No baby.  He sighed and pushed himself up, grabbing his dressing gown before he started to wander. 

Melody had started to teethe and was absolutely miserable most of the time.  They’d gone from relatively easy nights with a regular eating and sleeping schedule to out and out chaos with a miserable infant and frazzled mother.  He tried to take over, tried to take his fair share of sleeplessness, but even when he was up, so was River.  So she’d gotten into the habit of just letting him sleep. 

He found his wife in the office, a baby in one arm who was quietly suckling on a frozen gel ring, and a red marker in the other, making quick marks on a large star chart she had laid out on the desk. 

She looked up as he walked in and he could see the exhaustion in her eyes and in the halfhearted smile she gave him.  He closed the distance between them and held out his hands.  River sighed and handed the baby off to him.  Melody fussed for a few moments, but settled against his chest and continued her sucking.  She was warm, and he knew the slight fever wasn’t unusual, but it certainly didn’t make it any easier on his daughter or his wife. 

“Get some sleep,” he said, leaning over to place a kiss on River’s forehead.  She closed her eyes and wobbled a bit where she stood.  He steadied her with his free hand and repeated his words. 

“She’s just so miserable,” River said, reaching a hand up to cup the back of the baby’s head. 

“She’ll get through it,” he said, pulling his wife against his side.  “And so will we.  But only if you get some sleep.” 

She chuckled, and buried her face in his shoulder for a minute before nodding.  “Fine,” she said, “but wake me up if you need me.” 

“Of course,” he said, “but we can manage. Right?” he asked, bouncing his daughter slightly.  She looked up at him and giggled.  He smiled at her before patting River on the bum and pushing away from her. 

“Sleep,” he said.  She nodded again, and moved to roll up the star chart she’d been working on. 

“What is all this?” he asked, gesturing to it. 

She shrugged, dropping the chart into the box with the rest of her collection.  “Just tracking how far the Cephasians got before they stopped space travel,” she said.  “I’ve been using old charts as reference points before putting them into the computer to get a 3D representation.  I want to make sure it’s right.”

He nodded.  It made sense, although he didn’t quite see the purpose of it. But he so rarely did when it came to her work.  She stared at the box for a few seconds before meeting his eyes again.  She walked over to him and stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss. 

“Love you,” she said to him and then kissed Melody’s temple.  “And you,” she whispered.

* * *

 

“Hey, hey, hey!” he cried, jumping up to catch Melody before she ran into the ocean.  She giggled as he swooped her up, kicking playfully as he carried her back to their collection of blankets and chairs and sat her down on the ground next to River. 

“You aren’t supposed to run away,” he said, pointing a finger at her, both of them knowing that there was no real threat behind it.  She giggled again and rolled over, burying her face in River’s side. 

His wife marked the page in her book, the last of the huge collection she’d borrowed from Franklin, and rolled over, grabbing Melody and wrapping her in a hug.  They laughed together as River started to tickle her.  He loved it, watching them.  He plopped down in his chair under the umbrella and his daughter jumped up, darting into his lap jokingly hiding from River. 

“Cheater,” River joked, sitting up on her elbow and reaching to push one of Melody’s blonde curls out of her face.  “Running to your Daddy.”

Melody nodded and buried her face in his chest, but grabbed River’s hand and held it.  River lay back, smiling up at Melody in his lap, and neither he nor his wife were surprised when less than a minute later their daughter drifted off to sleep. 

River freed her fingers and sat up, placing a gentle kiss on Melody’s forehead before rolling over and opening her book again.  “I don’t think,” she said after a minute, “this is going to have what I need.”  She skimmed quickly through several pages and he looked down, seeing a mix of drawings and stories written on the different pages. 

“And that means…” he said, shifting his daughter so he could reach over and rub a finger along his wife’s cheek, pushing away a line of sand. 

“That means,” she said, reaching up to grab his hand and planting a kiss on his knuckles, “we need to go to a party.” 

* * *

 

“River,” he cried, darting around the corner at full speed and managing to not slip on the smooth tiles.  She was several steps in front of him, running equally as fast.  She paused for a minute, quickly tossing off her heels. 

“Come on,” she said, adjusting the bag on her shoulder where she’d stashed the collection of maps and books that she was kindly removing from Humbert Knobs Collection.  She held her hand out to him, and he scooped up her shoes. He knew she didn’t care about them, not really, but he did.  She did horribly wicked things in these shoes and he had no intention of leaving them behind.  He grabbed her hand as they continued down the hallway.  The sounds of blasters and shouting guards followed them. 

They turned another corner and started down the stairs towards the basement.  It had seemed like the perfect place to hide the Tardis, but now he wished they’d landed right in the middle of the party.  If they were going to get caught stealing, at least they could have made the getaway easier. 

They moved quickly together as they headed towards the last door.  He pulled the sonic out and had it at the ready, overriding the security lock and watching thankfully as the door slid open.  River moved in front of him and as the voices grew louder he took another second to seal the door. 

River pushed into the Tardis and was already at the controls when he managed to close the door.  Blaster fire rang all around them as a hard body slammed against the door.  The Doctor flipped the lock and moved to stand next to his wife. She was typing frantically and a moment later threw the lever. 

‘Where are we going?” he asked, putting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.  He was too old for this madness and he intended to tell her as much as soon as his hearts stopped pounding out of his chest. 

“Orbit around Titan,” she said.  “1475.  No one will accidently spot us.” 

He nodded, excellent location as usual.  He took another deep breath and straightened, eyeing his wife as she leaned back against the railing, her own breathing a bit labored.  Her cheeks were flushed, chest above the dark green evening gown damp with sweat,  and her hair curling crazily all over the place as it fell out of the careful confines. 

He glanced at the brown leather bag at her feet, wondered if whatever they stole was worth it to her and he glanced back up, meeting her eyes. 

She smiled at him and it didn’t matter.  He was done. 

He crossed the distance to her in two large strides.  He held her face in both hands and she grinned up at him.  The grin that always let him know she was in control of the situation and he was happy to let her be, even if it meant his hearts imploded as they just managed to escape a  trillionaire’s mansion. 

He brushed his thumbs over her cheeks before he leaned down, meeting her lips with his.  She stood on her tiptoes and he wrapped his arms around her, opening his mouth as she demanded entrance and supporting her weight as she leaned into him. 

He could feel every inch of her pressed against him.  Her heart pounding against his chest.  Her breathing still not evened out from the running.  Gasping as she backed away to gulp in air before kissing him again. 

“God, River,” he managed, pulling away but keeping her close as he took a breath of his own before leaning in to start on her neck.  The bare neck that had been taunting him all evening with her hair up and the low neckline of her dress. 

She hummed as fingers wound through his hair, keeping him exactly where she wanted him.  Her hips taking on a subtle motion against him, causing a definite tightening in his tuxedo pants. 

He suckled on the spot just below her ear, and he felt the shiver run through her.  He smiled and kept his attention focused there as her free hand moved up to start work on his tie. 

“This tie is stupid,” she said, repeating her words from earlier, when they’d be dressing.  Her opinion was hardly a surprise.  He didn’t wear bowties though.  He refused, even with a tuxedo.  He’d worn this stupid loopy mess on the Orient Express and he’d worn it tonight.  River had laughed, but even years on he’d been relieved to see that she was just amused and not disappointed with no bow tie. 

She pulled it off and draped the loose material to hang over her shoulder.  “Saving it for later,” she whispered, popping the buttons on his shirt one by one.

He moved just a fraction lower and she stilled, her whole body going stiff for a split second before she moaned and grabbed him.  This spot, this magic spot halfway between her ear and the nape of her neck would literally made her weak in the knees.  He tightened his grip, holding her up as she released another guttural noise from deep in her chest. 

She loved this.  Always had. And it was one of his favorite ways to take control. 

“Bed,” she managed, nails digging into his neck as her hips took on a more defined grind against his thigh. 

He mumbled an affirmation and she shivered again, her breath catching in her chest. 

He sucked hard for another moment before he pushed away all together, keeping a hold of her arms until her legs were steady underneath her.  He smiled as his eyes settled on her again. The flush from her cheeks all the way down her chest had deepened.  A red mark by her ear that meant she’d have to wear her hair down for a couple of days or face answering their daughter’s constant questions about the bruise. 

She looked mind numbingly beautiful and he reached for her hand, intent on taking her to bed with the reckless abandon of two parents spending a night away from their kid. 

He stopped at the top of stairs, the idea of it striking him as absolutely absurd.  As if he and River were some Earth-bound suburban parents sneaking in a date night, instead of a Time Lord and a half who had just stolen any number of priceless artifacts from a 58th century collector and escaped in their time machine. 

He turned to his wife, intent on letting her in on the joke, but she slammed against him, pressing him back against a bookcase. 

“Here’s fine then,” she managed before pressing her mouth against his.  His mind went blank, registering only the awkward pain in his back from the corner of the bookcase, before her hand working on his zipper suddenly made the moment perfectly clear.

“River,” he gasped, managing to close his fingers around her hips and push her back, allowing him to form a complete thought.  He glanced down, momentarily surprised that she’d managed to maneuver him through his boxers and zip without undoing his belt or the button on his trousers.  Her eyes followed his and he noticed to feral look of triumph cross her face before she reached for the tie still draped over her shoulder. 

She grinned up at him as she started to wrap it around her wrists.  The sight stirred through him and he nodded his head. 

“Here then,” he conceded, wrapping his arms tight around her and trying to remember the last time they’d had sex on the floor.  He had memories but couldn’t sort them into any chronological order.  Not once since he’d been wrinkled and grey.  And it didn’t matter.  They were both too old for this and they were absolutely going to do it anyway. 

He lowered them down, River lying back and putting her arms above her head, the tie a dark contrast to her pale skin. 

He reached down to continue what she’d started with his trousers and smiled at her.  He had no idea what had been so important that she had to steal it.  He didn’t care nearly enough about her work, but if it ended like this he certainly wouldn’t object to making a habit out of it. 

* * *

 

“You’ve been busy,” Clara said behind him as they walked into the office, eyeing the stacks of books and star charts River had spread about the room.  Three ancient scrolls hung, protected, on the far wall.  They were part of what River had stolen a few weeks ago and she’d taken every precaution to preserve them. 

He eyed them again, deciphering the words of the Cephasian’s travels easily.  River had told him she was right on the precipice of understanding how far they’d gotten.  Of understanding just how advanced they were before they gone home never to return to space again. 

“They did it backwards,” she’d said to him a week ago while they lay in bed.  He’d spent the day with Clara in the Cephasian capital city thousands of years ago, looking for a referenced article that River had wanted to read that seemed to not have survived. Clara has asked why River just didn’t come here and watch it all unfold.  He’d smirked at her and given her the answer River had given to him when he’d asked the same question.

“It was thousands and thousands of years, we can spot check it, but never really understand the processes.  This allows her hindsight, to understand them as a whole in a way that she can’t do when experiencing it.” 

Clara nodded, seeming to understand.  He was glad somebody did, because it still seemed a bit idiotic to him.  But it made his wife happy so he retrieved the article from a computer database as requested and spent the rest of the day with his companion watching her enjoy a new planet and species. 

“We did it backwards,” he’d said to River that night, wrapping his arm around her waist and wishing she’d close the book and sink underneath the blankets with him.  She’d didn’t hear him, eyes flying across the page as she settled a hand on his shoulder. 

He’d just sighed, buried his face in her hip and drifted off. 

“…and making a mess,” River’s words drew him back to the office as she reached down to scoop up Melody as she ran in.  “How was the park?” she asked their daughter and Melody went into tirade about a little boy who’d thrown a stick at her.  The whole thing was a bit of an exaggeration, with the stick having slipped from his hand as he collapsed on his face, but River acted shocked in all the right places and Melody was satisfied.

Clara walked around the room looking at all the paper star charts and the open books.  The Doctor watched her for a moment before moving to stand next to his wife, hitting a button on the computer panel in front of her and bringing up the 3D map River had been working on.  Clara gasped as the universe sprang to life around them and Melody laughed, poking at the floating stars.

* * *

River frowned as she looked over the environmental controls. 

“We can wear suits,” the Doctor said, seeing the less than friendly atmospheric readings.  She’d begged him to come here, believing that this uninhabitable world might have some information or some yet untapped archaeological value. 

She looked at the screen, then towards the door, then back at the screen.  She shook her head and he didn’t understand.  Less than an hour ago this had been the most important thing in the world.  She had to come here, had to. 

“I’ll get it another way,” she whispered before looking up and meeting his eyes.  She was chewing on her lower lip and he frowned.  She’d never shown any hesitation about wearing an environmental suit before.  He wondered for a moment if it had something to do with the library until she brought her hand up and rested it on her flat stomach. 

He studied her for a moment before his eyebrows shot up, running wild again.  He met her green eyes and studied her, asking without saying a word. 

After a moment she nodded, a smile crossing her face as her hand moved around gently.  His face broke out in grin of his own and he closed the distance between them.

* * *

 

The voices from their bedroom greeted him in the hallway.  His daughter asking incessant questions and River answering them patiently and thoroughly.  His wife, the career liar, never lied to their daughter.  She’d omit info to keep it child friendly, but answers were given and everything explained.  His wife who’d never shown an ounce of patience before becoming a mother suddenly had it in droves, but typically only with their daughter.  She certainly didn’t hesitate to become frustrated with him. 

“So is this where the people are, Mummy?” he heard Melody ask as he pushed open the door.  River was lying back on her mess of pillows, managing to look comfortable for a few minutes.  She was huge if he was being honest, not that he’d ever say that to her.  He’d been on eggshells for months. This pregnancy being a lot harder on River physically than Melody’s had been.  She’d been all but confined to bed for the last few weeks and if it wasn’t for the constant supply of books and maps she had him deliver then he was sure she’d have killed them all.

“What people, baby?” River asked, and he noticed his daughter lying on River’s far side, propped on the pillows.  River was absentmindedly stroking fingers through Melody’s soft blonde hair. 

“The whispering people,” she answered simply and it was enough to draw River’s attention away from the map spread across the bed and part of her stomach. 

“Where are they?” he said, cutting River off and making his way to the side of the bed.  His wife turned to smile up at him, but his daughter jumped up.

“Daddy!” she exclaimed as if he’d been gone for weeks instead of just a day. She stood up and bounced once before he managed to catch her and prevent her from falling onto River. 

“Careful,” he said, pulling her against his chest and placing a kiss on her nose.  “You have to be careful of Mummy and the baby.” 

“My brother,” she giggled and he nodded.  They hadn’t told her anything, but her natural Time Lord abilities were starting to show themselves in different places, like being able to semi-communicate with her brother. 

“Yes,” River laid back and rubbed her stomach.  “If he ever decides to come.” 

The Doctor reached down and grabbed his wife’s fingers.  She smiled up at him again before he turned his attention back to his daughter. 

“What voices were you talking about?” he asked, gesturing towards the bed.   

River’s fingers tightened around his, but Melody looked confused. 

“The ones outside,” she said, frowning and sensing that both he and River were curious she started to wiggle.  He let go of River’s hand and tried to hold on to his daughter.

“I don’t know what they are,” he said. “I don’t hear them.” 

She looked confused again, stilling for a second, before trying to break free from him. 

“I don’t hear them all the time,” she said, as he stood her back up on the mattress.  She jumped off, and stared up at him.  “Only when the Tardis wants.”  She smirked and darted towards the door.  He started to call after her but let her go. 

“Sweetie?” River asked, and he sat down next to her, shaking his head.

“I don’t know,” he answered.  Stretching his mind out to feel his daughter.  There was nothing out of the ordinary.  “She isn’t afraid,” he shook his head again and settled a hand on his wife’s stomach, feeling his son move around beneath his fingers. “I don’t think it’s anything tangible, maybe just trying to process what she sees and hears.  There’s a lot going on there as a baby Time Lord, she’s still figuring out how to filter.” 

River studied him for a moment and nodded. 

“We’ll keep an eye on it,” they said at the same time and grinned at each other. 

They were quiet for a minute, his wife suddenly looking absolutely miserable despite the smile on her face. 

“Did Clara like the museum?” she asked, shifting a bit on the pillows. 

“She did,” he said. “And she found what she needed for the math class.”

River laughed and reached a hand up to grab his again.  “She doesn’t actually teach math, you know.”

He shrugged and looked at the collection of books spread around the bed. 

“I see you sent the wee one on a book spree,”  he picked up a book on interdimensional travel and held it up.  River just shrugged reached for the star map.

“I’m just trying to fill in some gaps in the historical records,” she said.  “Bored out of my mind really.”

He huffed and released her hand before shifting to lay down next to her.  The angle was awkward with the collection of pillows and a belly between them, but he settled down and reached an arm out to hold her as closely as he could. 

“Soon honey,” he said, leaning up to kiss her forehead.  “Soon.”

* * *

 

“We won’t be long,” River said, handing Alistair off to Jenny and watching as Melody traipsed up the stairs as if she owned the place.  Strax took off after her, trying to be scolding, but everybody, including their daughter knew better.  He positively adored the little girl. 

“Take your time,” Vastra said, reaching a green hand up to hold onto one of the baby’s small feet. 

“As I have no idea where we are going,” he said glancing at his wife.  “I can neither confirm nor deny that it will be a quick trip.”  River rolled her eyes and leaned down to place a kiss on her son’s head.  She handed a bag to Vastra.

“Thanks for all the source material,” River said and he glanced down to see a bag full of books.  Vastra nodded and sat the bag on the floor. 

“Any time,” the green one said simply and nodded to them.  “See you later this evening then.”

“Yes,” River said, reaching for The Doctor’s hand as she turned towards the back door, leading him back to the Tardis.  


	3. The Beginning

No matter how far you've gone down the wrong road, you can always turn back. ~ Unknown 

 

He grabbed the railing.  His legs were weak and he desperately wanted to stay up right.  The swirling in his head lead him to believe that might not happen. 

He should have seen it.  The books.  The star maps.  Interdimensional travel.  She hadn’t hid a damn thing. 

“River,” he managed and suddenly she was next to him, her scent filling the space around him as her arm wrapped around his waist. 

“Sweetie?” she asked, a hint of concern in her voice, but he couldn’t look at her.  He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the large ball swirling in front of him.  The odd mix of time vortex and broken space that surrounded it. 

“Gallifrey,” he managed, the emotion taking over his voice as he leaned into River, amazed that she was able to hold most of his weight. 

“Yes,” she whispered near his ear.  “They stumbled upon it accidently centuries ago. I remembered something about it from when I was at university, but it never occurred to me it was Gallifrey.  I thought it was gone, and then you told me what you did, so I just retraced their steps.”  He shook his head. It was so much more than that.  So much more. She shrugged and glanced out the doors.  “I’m sorry it took me so long.” 

“I –” he started unable to continue.  He took in a shaky breath and turned to look at her.  There were tears in her green eyes as she studied him.  Happy tears. Concerned tears.  He wasn’t sure. 

He wasn’t sure what he was feeling. A wave in numbness had swept over him.  Overwhelmed he assumed.  Shocked. 

“It seems stuck,” she said. “From the little I’ve been able to gather.  But it seems to fit with what you said.  Hidden and protected.  You, all of you, did a good job keeping it safe.” 

He nodded, now unable to take his eyes off his wife.  His absolutely amazing wife. 

He took a deep breath and straightened.  River’s grip loosened a bit and he turned, wrapping his arms around her and holding onto her as tightly as he could. 

“River,” he managed, burying his face in her neck and feeling the tears sting his eyes.  He breathed her in, felt her solid against him with his home swirling just outside the door.   She’d done what he couldn’t, what he’d secretly started to think was impossible.

“The calculations are going to be hell,” she whispered, fingers weaving into his hair as she held onto him. 

He shook his head.  He’d been working on those, too.  All along, since the beginning.  This was the only piece he’d been missing.


End file.
